Swiper and the NutCracker Rescue
by badboylover24
Summary: This is a Dora the Explorer version of the NutCracker I've created for my niece, who has just celebrated her third Christmas. Swiper, Dora, and Boots must save the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Mouse King, and Swiper looks for a Secret Santa gift for Isa.
1. Prologue: Drosselmeyer Tells a Story

**Swiper and the NutCracker Rescue**

**Summary:** I started writing this on Christmas for my niece who's 2; so sorry if this is a bit late. Anyway, this takes place a year after Swiper and Dora got said fox off the Naughty List. The famous magician Drosselmeyer asks the two of them and Boots to go to the Kingdom of the NutCracker to save the Sugar Plum Fairy from marrying the Mouse King and making him King of the Land of Sweets. During the quest, Swiper hopes to find a special gift for Isa for Secret Santa.

I do not own Dora the Explorer or its characters, and I do not own the NutCracker or its characters. They belong to Nickelodeon and E. Hoffman. Some of these parts in the story are based on parts of the NutCracker story and the music for said story.

**Prologue: Drosselmeyer Tells a Story…**

Imagine yourself in a sitting room large enough to let about twenty people walk about and/or dance. It is decorated richly for a Christmas party with a very tall Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe on the walls and ceiling, and red and green candles on the white fireplace with its roaring fire. At said fireplace, a thin man with gray tied into a low ponytail by a black ribbon and wearing a brown suit with a black cape sits at a white armchair with a group of children, each with a toy in his or her arms, sitting at his feet. What is fascinating about him is that he has a black eye patch over his right eye.

Can you guess who he is? If you guessed Uncle Drosselmeyer of _The NutCracker_, you're right!

"Well, _mis hijos_," he said to the children, "we've opened our gifts and we've had some dinner. What shall we do now?"

"_Una historia_," a girl with a doll answered happily. "Please tell us a story, _Tío _Drosselmeyer."

"Much like the story of Clara and the NutCracker Prince," added a boy with a boat.

"_Sí_," concurred a girl with a bear. "_Los Cascanueces_!" Drosselmeyer chuckled in reply as he brought out a red leather book.

"I know just the story," he said, opening said book to a certain page. "What makes this story different is that our hero, _los __héroe_, is _not los Cascanueces_. It is _el raposa_."

"A fox?" asked a boy with a plane.

"_Sí_," Drosselmeyer answered, before showing them a picture of Swiper the Fox with a sword and fighting the Mouse King, who is large enough to be a rat and is wearing a crooked golden crown and red fleece king's cape. "A fox that you should know very well. Can you guess who?"

"Swiper the Fox!" answered a girl with a ball.

"_Correcto_," Drosselmeyer answered. "In this story with Clara and _los Cascanueces_, he helped save the Sugar Plum Fairy with the help of his _amigos_, Dora and Boots."

"How did he do that, _Tío _Drosselmeyer?" asked a boy with a drum.

"Let me tell you the story of Swiper and his adventures in the Kingdom of the NutCracker," Drosselmeyer answered, turning the page to show a picture of Dora, Boots, and Swiper walking down a path during winter. Dora has on her _Nacimiento_ party dress, Boots has on his _Nacimiento_ bowtie, and Swiper has on his new _Nacimiento_ scarf, red and green holly and white snowflakes. Drosselmeyer then began telling his story:

"It was the day before Christmas Eve…"


	2. A Kingdom in Trouble

Ch.1: A Kingdom in Trouble

Dora, Boots, and Swiper were walking through the snowy forest together. Swiper, of course, isn't swiping. He had learned his lesson last year that "There's no swiping on Christmas". Right now, he's hoping to find a good gift to give this year.

"I just love _Secreto Santa_," said Dora. "Don't you, Boots?" Swiper knows what she's talking about. Thanks to Dora teaching him some Spanish, he understands a bit of Spanish. In English, it means "Secret Santa".

"I sure do!" Boots cheered happily. "I'm Tico's Secret Santa this year, and my mommy helped me get him an acorn recipe cookbook."

"I'm Benny's Secret Santa this year," said Dora, "and my _Mami_ helped me make for him a scrapbook for his pictures of the places he traveled to in his hot air balloon." She then turned to Swiper. "What about _you_, Swiper?"

"Well," he answered, shyly rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm Secret Santa to…Isa." As he said her name, the blue-masked fox blushed with a small smile. Dora and Boots noticed the blush and know it very well. Swiper had just started to like Isa as more than a friend ever since the iguana got over her secret crush on Boots after he found a new girlfriend. Swiper wanted to express his feelings to Isa, and the Secret Santa's the perfect opportunity to do so.

"That's _grandioso_, Swiper!" said Dora.

"Yeah, but…I don't know _what_ to give her," Swiper said with a frown. "I know she loves flowers, but I think it might be too obvious. I want to get her something _very_ special."

"Perhaps I can help you with that wish, my friend," a mysterious voice said, catching the three of them by surprise.

"Who said that?" asked the surprised Boots. He got his answer when a man with gray hair tied into a low ponytail by a black ribbon, a brown suit with a black cape, and a black eye patch over his right eye step out from behind a nearby tree.

"That would be me, young Boots," the man answered. "I am Herr Drosselmeyer, but you may simply call me Drosselmeyer." Swiper blinked with surprise.

"I've heard of you," he said with a smile. "You're the godfather of Clara from _The NutCracker_! My mom and I would read that story to my little sister Brisé every day in December before Christmas."

"_Sí_, _los Cascanueces_," said Dora. "It is her favorite Christmas story. She even played the role of Clara in her ballet class's version of _The NutCracker_."

"Yeah, we all saw that show!" Boots cheered. "I _love_ _The Nutcracker_." Swiper then turned to Drosselmeyer.

"Can you really help me find a special gift for Isa?" he asked. The famous magician/toymaker took out a large red book with a nutcracker on the front cover from his cape.

"I know someone who has just what you need," he said to the fox, "but in order to retrieve this gift, you must help her first."

"Who is she?" asked Dora. Drosselmeyer then opened the book to a page bearing a picture of a beautiful ballerina in a glittering violet ballet gown with matching dancing slippers, lavender fairy wings on her back, and a golden tiara on her head with amethysts. She also has long golden hair and indigo eyes. In the picture, she is doing an _arabesque _on her toe, and the wintery scenery is a beautiful frozen lake with swans wearing golden or silver necklaces.

"She is the Sugar Plum Fairy," Drosselmeyer answered, "a friend of Clara and the NutCracker."

"Oh, _el Azúcar Plum Hada_," said Dora in awe.

"She's so beautiful," said Dora.

"What's wrong?" asked Swiper. "Is she in trouble?"

"I'm afraid so," Drosselmeyer answered. "Her _amigos_, Clara and the NutCracker Prince, have been captured and locked away by _El Ratón Rey_." He then turned to the next page to show another picture, this one of three others, two of which are in a cage. One is Clara, the brown-haired girl in a robin's egg blue gown and snow white dancing slippers. The other is the NutCracker Prince, the black-haired prince dressed in his soldier's uniform.

Outside the cage is a mouse as tall as the Sugar Plum Fairy. He has light gray fur and a long black tail. He has on a red fleece king's cloak and a golden crown with rubies.

"The Mouse King?" Swiper said in shock. "Oh, man!"

"_Sí_," Drosselmeyer replied solemnly, "and because he had capture them and locked them away, the Mouse King has captured her in her own castle and plans to marry her." He then turned to a third page of the frightened Sugar Plum Fair before the fearsome Mouse King in a beautiful chamber.

"If he does marry her, he will become Ruler of the Land of Sweets residing in the NutCracker Kingdom," Drosselmeyer added, "and he will keep all the sweets and won't let any go to children for Christmas."

"That's terrible!" Boots cried.

"We can't let that happen!" said Dora. "We've got to save _el_ _Azúcar Plum Hada_!"

"But how do we get to the NutCracker Kingdom?" asked Swiper. Drosselmeyer then turned to a picture in the book showing a beautiful landscape filled with toys for people and all sorts of plants producing sweets like fruits.

"I can help you with that," he answered, setting the book onto the ground. "What you need to do is hold hands, and I shall use a spell to transport you to the NutCracker Kingdom." Dora, Boots, and Swiper then held hands, and Drosselmeyer took out a handful of golden brown dust. To Swiper, it smells like gingerbread.

"This gingerbread dust was given to me by the Sugar Plum Fairy herself," the older man said. "It will transport you to the Nutcracker Kingdom. _¡Buena suerte! _Good luck to you." With that, he blew the dust at the three explorers, and it swirled around them in a glittering gold twister. It then lifted them up into the air and flew them into the book, shrinking them in the process.


	3. Where to Start

Notice: I do not own the song at the end; it belongs to Dora the Explorer. All I did was edit it so it coincides with the story. I know it's a bit...awkward to put the song in, but I just couldn't resist. My niece loves Dora!

**Ch. 3: Where to Start**

When the twister has subsided and Dora, Boots, and Swiper opened their eyes, they found themselves in the NutCracker Kingdom, which looked just like in the book, with the music from _The NutCracker_ segment "Dance of the Flutes" playing somewhere in the background.

"Wow," Boots said in awe. "This is so cool!"

"It's _muy bella_," Dora concurred. "I just hope we can stop the Mouse King from ruining all of this by marrying the Sugar Plum Fairy."

"But…how do we find her?" asked Swiper. As if on cue, Map poked his head out of Backpack's side pocket.

"I know where, Swiper," he said with a smile. He then hopped out of the pocket and unrolled himself a bit until there was a full map of the NutCracker Kingdom, showing the trio five locations on it.

"The Mouse King has her trapped in the tall tower of her home, Gingerbread Castle," Map said. On cue, the location at the top right-hand corner of the map glowed. It is a beautiful castle made entire of gingerbread, decorated with white icing and multi-colored gumdrops and sprinkles. In the top room of the very tall tower in the middle, the Sugar Plum Fairy waved to Dora, Boots, and Swiper.

"_Me ayude_, _valientes_!" she cried. "Help me, brave ones!" Map frowned, pitying the poor fairy.

"We just have to save her before she ends up marrying the Mouse King!" he cried. "Good thing I know the way there. First, you have to go through the Toy Animal Jungle…" At the bottom left-hand corner, a jungle icon glowed. The jungle showed a few toy animals. Among them was a beautiful, colorful Arabian peacock with long, lovely tail feathers, which flew above the jungle in circles to _The NutCracker_ segment "The Arabian Dance".

"Next," Map went on as a light went down the chocolate/vanilla square path from the Toy Animal Jungle to the next location, "you must walk through the Waltzing Garden…" Said location is a garden of various flowers, which began twirling around to _The NutCracker_ segment "Waltz of the Flowers".

"Then, you pass through the Cuddly Barn…" The third location is a Chinese Barn with all sorts of adorable animals, which began scurrying around to _The NutCracker_ segment "The Chinese Dance".

"After that, make your way through Tin Soldier Field…" The fourth location shows a group of tin soldier toys, which began marching to _The NutCracker_ segment "The Russian Dance".

"And that's how you'll reach Gingerbread Castle." The last location was said castle with its sprinkles and gumdrops glittering to _The NutCracker_ segment "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".

"I also learned from Drosselmeyer that there are also _estrellas_ here in the NutCracker Kingdom," Map added, "so we should watch out for them. But we should also watch out for the Mouse King; he'll try to stop us from reaching the castle." The Mouse King's head then popped out from behind the castle.

"_El Hada es mía!_" he cried. "The Fairy is mine!" The royal mouse then disappeared behind the castle.

"So remember," Map said to the group. "Jungle, Garden, Barn, Field, and Gingerbread Castle!" He then hopped back into Backpack's side pocket.

"So to reach Gingerbread Castle," Swiper said, "we must first go through the Toy Animal Jungle." He, Dora, and Boots then started to look around until Boots spotted the jungle from where he was certain he could hear "The Arabian Dance."

"Yeah, there it is," the little monkey cried, pointing the jungle out to his two friends.

"C'mon," Dora said. "We've got to get to Gingerbread Castle!"

"So we can save the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Mouse King," added Swiper. The trio then began to sing their travel song, jingle bells jingling with the music:

_Dora: _C'mon! Sing it with us!

_Trio_: Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Come on, _vámonos_.

Everybody let's go.

_Boots & Swiper:_ Come on; let's get to it.

_Dora: _I know that we can do it

Who are we saving?

_Boots: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Swiper:_ The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Dora: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Trio_: The Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy!


	4. The Toy Animal Jungle

**Ch. 3: The Toy Animal Jungle**

Before long, Dora, Boots, and Swiper have reached the Toy Animal Jungle. As they began to go through it, they find it quiet, save for "The Arabian Dance" music in the air.

"Wow," Boots said as a large wooden duck followed by five small rubber ducklings waddled past them on wheels. "Every animal here is a toy."

"You're right, Boots," said Dora as the passed an elephant doll that's pink with purple polka dots. Just then, they heard familiar swishing and laughter. The three explorers looked up to see…

"_Estrellas_!" Dora cried. Six stars flew above there heads: two reds; two whites; and two greens. And there was a seventh star with them as well, a pink lady star with red hearts and white wings.

"And look!" Swiper said, pointing her out. "It's Lovey Dove, the Explorer Star of Love!"

"Catch us! Catch us!" the seven stars giggled to the three explorers. As Dora, Boots, and Swiper were catching the stars, _el Ratón Rey _was carrying out his first plan to keep them from reaching Gingerbread Castle.

"I won't let them get to _mi Hada_," he said, quickly scurrying to the jungle exit. The rubies on his crown began glowing as he raised his arms.

"_Culebra ceñido_!" he cried, and a giant green snake with a slinky for a body appeared out of the red twister that appeared from the Mouse King's hands. He then smiled at his work.

"This should keep them busy," he said before escaping from the jungle. Back with our heroes, they have just caught the stars, including Lovey Dove, who nuzzled into Swiper's cheek, making him chuckle.

"I think she likes you, Swiper," Boots laughed before the little stars flew into the star pocket. Once all seven are inside, the three friends then made their way through the jungle until the reached the exit, which unfortunately was guarded by the Slinky Snake.

"Uh-oh!" said Boots. "That Slinky Snake's blocking our way."

"I don't think it wants to move," said Dora.

"That's because it's told not to," a female voice said. The trio looked up to see the Arabian bird from the Map fly over to them.

"I am Fénix**," **she said, "ruler and guardian of the Toy Animal Jungle."

"_Hola_, Fénix," Dora said. "_Soy Dora_."

"And I'm Boots," said the little monkey.

"And I'm Swiper," said the fox. "But what do you mean this snake's told not to move?"

"It was summoned here by _el Ratón Rey _to keep you from getting through so you can't reach the castle," the bird answered.

"Ohh, maaan," Swiper groaned. "How can we get through something that huge?"

"_Mi padre_ told me that Slinky Snakes can fall asleep easily to a soft lullaby," Fénix answered, "and that they only understand Spanish."

"Good thing Dora taught me some Spanish," Swiper said with a smile. "If we want to sing 'sleep' to the Slinky Snake, we need to sing _sueño_, right?"

"Right, Swiper," his friend answered. The three of them then began to sing to the Slinky Snake, in sync with the rhythm of "The Arab Dance":

"_Suuu-e, suuu-e, suu-eee-ñooo…_

_Suuu-e, suuu-e, suu-eee-ñooo…_" Fénix helped out as well, using her singing that sounded like singing violins. Hearing the lovely lullaby, the Slinky Snake swayed a little before letting out a huge yawn. It then coiled up and fell asleep with a soft smile. Wanting to be careful, the group kept singing the lullaby as they snuck past the Slinky Snake. Soon they were out of the jungle.

"Phew!" Boots said. "That was close."

"_Gracias _for your help, Fénix," said Dora.

"_De nada_, Dora," the bird replied. "Good luck on your quest to save _el_ _Azúcar Plum Hada_!" She then flew off back into her jungle.

"Where do we go next, Dora?" asked Boots. Dora then looked into Map.

"We went through the Toy Animal Jungle," she answered, "so next is the Waltzing Garden." Swiper then looked up to see a garden of colorful flowers spinning and swaying to the music of "Waltz of the Flowers".

"There it is!" he said, pointing it out to Dora and Boots.

"C'mon," Dora said. "We've got to get to Gingerbread Castle!"

"So we can save the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Mouse King," added Boots. As they headed for the garden, _el Ratón Rey _stuck his head from behind a bush and scowled at the heroes.

"_Queso_!" he growled. "They got through my Slinky Snake! But they won't get through the Waltzing Garden. I'll make sure of that!" With that, he scurried away as Dora, Boots, and Swiper began their travel song with the jingling bells:

_Dora: _C'mon! Sing it with us!

_Trio_: Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Come on, _vámonos_.

Everybody let's go.

_Boots & Swiper:_ Come on; let's get to it.

_Dora: _I know that we can do it

Who are we saving?

_Boots: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Swiper:_ The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Dora: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Trio_: The Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy!


	5. The Waltzing Garden

Sorry I didn't post this sooner; I've been tied up. Anyway, here's the next chapter of the story.

**Ch. 4: The Waltzing Garden**

It wasn't long before Dora, Boots, and Swiper reached the Waltzing Garden. Everywhere they look, there would be various flowers swaying and twirling to "The Waltz of the Flowers" music.

"Wow," Swiper said in awe. "Look at all of these flowers! Isa would just love it here."

"She sure would," said Dora. Just then, they heard a noise like someone in pain.

"Oh, my root! My poor root!" The trio looked up to find a boy violet rubbing his root as someone would rub his hurt ankle. Sitting beside him is a girl rose comforting him. Dora and her friends went up to them.

"Excuse me, _Señorita Rosa_," Dora said to them. "Excuse me, _Señor Violeta_. But what seems to be the problem?"

"Violeto here was going to help me with my dancing," the Rose answered, "but then a _nube roja_ flew out of nowhere and made him trip and hurt his ankle. And now I don't have anyone to teach me the mambo."

"I have a feeling it's no accident," Violeto said to Dora. "Right after that red cloud flew by me, a large mouse with a crown and cape ran off."

"_El Ratón Rey_!" the trio said in unison.

"I think he's trying to keep you from reaching Gingerbread Castle to save the Sugar Plum Fairy," the Rose concurred.

"But we can't just leave you two here," Backpack replied before opening her flap. "I think I have some bandages in me…Ah, here we are." A roll of bandages flew out of her and into Dora's hand. As Dora bandaged up Violeto's root, Swiper got an idea.

"I have an idea," he said. "You said that Violeto was going to teach you the mambo, right?"

"_Sí_," Rosa answered with a sad nod.

"Well, what if _we_ teach you the dance?" he asked. "Dora's cousin taught Dora and Boots how it's done."

"Great thinking, Swiper," Boots replied.

"_Muy bien_," concurred Dora. Rosa then hugged him.

"Oh, _gracias_!" she said to him. "And I will help you find your way through the garden. _Mi amigos_ won't let anyone through unless they mambo with you." With a nod, Swiper, Dora, and Boots began to show Rosa how to mambo:

"First, you need to march in place." Rosa then began marching in rhythm with Dora and her two animal friends with her root-like feet.

"Next, you need to wiggle your hips." She then wiggled her stem-like hips with them.

"Then, you circle your arms in front of you." Rosa then began circling her leaf-like arms in front of her along with her young teachers. Before she knew it, she's doing the mambo. It wasn't long before all the other flowers saw her and joined her in the dance. They were all having fun as much as she was. Soon the dance was over.

"That was a wonderful dance!" exclaimed a Daisy.

"You may now pass through to the other side of the garden," Lily said, holding her leaf/arm out to show the trio a path. "Just take this path; it will take you close to the Cuddly Barn."

"_Gracias_," Dora said as she and her friends headed for the exit.

"_De nada_," Rosa said as she and her friends waved to them.

"_¡Buena suerte!_" said Violeto.

"Where do we go next, Dora?" asked Swiper once the trio is out of the garden.

"We've ventured through the Toy Jungle," she answered, "and we've danced our way through the Waltzing Garden. So next is the Cuddly Barn." The trio then looked around until they spotted a cute little farm with a barn full of cute baby stuffed animals.

"There it is!" Boots cried.

"C'mon," Dora said. "We've got to get to Gingerbread Castle!"

"So we can save the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Mouse King," added Swiper. As they headed for the garden, _el Ratón Rey _stuck his head from behind a tree, greatly enraged.

"Darn it!" he growled. "They've danced their way through the garden. I better head them off at the barn. If I can create chaos there, they'll never get through." With an evil chuckle, he flew off in a cloud of red sparkling dust as the trio sang their traveling song to jingling bells:

_Dora: _C'mon! Sing it with us!

_Trio_: Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Come on, _vámonos_.

Everybody let's go.

_Boots & Swiper:_ Come on; let's get to it.

_Dora: _I know that we can do it

Who are we saving?

_Boots: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Swiper:_ The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Dora: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Trio_: The Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy!


	6. The Cuddly Barn

Ch. 5: The Cuddly Barn

As the trio was approaching the Cuddly Barn, _el Ratón Rey _who's hiding behind a bush aimed his wand at the barn door.

"_Abra!_" he hissed, and the wand shot a blue beam at the door to open it. Out of it ran a bunch of baby animal plush toys, followed by their mothers calling after them.

"Let's see them get through _that_!" the rodent hissed with an evil smile. With that said, he ran off to leave the trio of heroes (sorry, I couldn't resist saying that) with their new obstacle.

Back with said heroes, they had just reached the Cuddly Barn to find the baby plush animals running out of said barn.

"Whoa!" Boots cried. "What's going on, Dora?"

"I don't know, Boots," his friend answered. Swiper then went up to a plush palomino. He can tell that she's upset about something.

"Excuse me," he said to her, "but what's going on here?" The palomino turned to him and his friends.

"It's just terrible," she answered. "My friends and I were getting our little ones ready for bed when the door suddenly flew open. It frightened our babies so much that they ran out of the barn in fear. The door wasn't suppose to do that, though; it was locked last time I checked."

Swiper, Boots, and Dora turned to each other in realization. There's only one person they can think of to pull a trick like that.

"_El Ratón Rey_!" they cried in unison.

"Oh, it is just terrible," Plush Palomino whimpered. "Please…could you help us get our babies back?"

"Of course," Dora answered with a smile. "How many babies plush animals are missing?"

"Only five," she answered. "There's Puffy Lamb, Poufy Sheep's baby. Then there's Plumage Chick, Plum Hen's baby. Next is Pinky Piglet, Plump Pig's baby. After that is Poppy Calf, Polka Cow's baby. And finally there's my baby, Painted Pony. It's possible that they are hiding in the farm yard."

The trio then followed Plush Palomino to the yard just behind the barn. At the far back of it is a cow-spot patterned silo. A group of golden haystacks stood a few feet southwest of it. At its southeast stood a large pink tractor. A few feet south of the haystacks sat a large pile of flour sacks. And a group of large ice cream cartons stood south of the tractor.

"Because of their colors and patterns," Plush stated, "I think the babies are blending in with some of our farm equipment and products."

"Let's listen for them," said Dora. "We'll start with Puffy Lamb." The trio and extra-fluffy Poufy Sheep then listened carefully. From each item, a baby farm animal gave out a cute cry.

"Where is my little Puffy?" asked Poufy.

"I think she's in the flour bags," Swiper answered, and he went over to look. Sure enough, a white puffy lamb popped her head out from under the bags. The fox then helped her out as she bleated with delight.

"_Mami_!" she cried, running up to her mother.

"_Mi bebe_," Poufy cried, embracing her child. "I'm so glad you're alright." The two sheep then returned to the barn as plum-purple Plum Hen went up to the trio.

"Now let's listen for Plumage Chick," Dora said, and the four of them listened to the sounds from the remaining objects.

"Where's my little chick?" asked Plum.

"I know," Boots answered. "He's in the haystacks." He then went up to the piles of hay and moved it a bit. In a split second, a little yellow chick leapt out of the hay and into his hands.

"Here he is," Boots said, carrying him over to the hen. Said bird then hugged her baby.

"Oh, thank you!" she cried, taking her child into her wings. She then went into the barn as the plump-bellied Plump Pig went up.

"Now let's listen for the little piglet," Dora said. The four of them then listened to the hiding babies.

"Where's Pinky Piglet?" asked Dora.

"I bet she's in the tractor," Swiper said, going up to said vehicle. He then scooped up the little one gently out of the seat of the tractor and helped him down so he can trot up to his mother.

"I'm sorry I ran off, Mama," he said. "I was scared."

"I know, sweetie," Plump replied. "I'm just glad you're alright." The two of them then went into the barn as the polka-dotted Polka Cow went up to the group.

"Now let's listen for the calf," said Dora. The four of them listened to the silo and ice cream cartons.

"Where do think she is, Boots?" asked Swiper.

"I think he's behind the silo," the little monkey answered, and he went to the back of the silo. Out from behind said tower stepped the speckled Poppy Calf.

"Mommy," she cried, running up to her happy mother.

"Now all that is left is my little Painted Pony," Plush said as the two cows went back into the barn.

"And I bet she's hiding in the ice cream," Dora said, going up to the cartons. She then moved them a bit and helped the white ,brown, and pink-colored pony out.

"Oh, sweetie," Plush cooed as she nuzzled her nose into her baby's. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Mommy," the little pony cried, cuddling up to her. The horse then looked up at Dora, Boots, and Swiper.

"Thank you for finding our babies," she said. "For that, I'll help you to the path that will take you to Gingerbread Castle." The two horses then led them to the other end of the farm, where the path leads to a field with tin soldiers marching to "The Russian Dance" music.

"That's Tin Soldier Field!" cried Swiper.

"Just cross that field," Plush said to them, "and you will reach Gingerbread Castle."

"_Gracias_, Plush," Dora said to her.

"_De nada_," the horse replied as she and her baby headed for the barn. "_¡Buena suerte!_"

"C'mon," Dora said to Boots and Swiper. "We've got to get to Gingerbread Castle!"

"Yeah, so we can save the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Mouse King," concurred Boots. As they headed for the field, _el Ratón Rey _stuck his head from within some flowers, angrier than before.

"_Queso_!" he growled. "They've helped the animals. I've got to stop them at the field." Worried, he ran for Tin Soldier Field. Meanwhile, the trio began their traveling song to jingling bells:

_Dora: _C'mon! Sing it with us!

_Trio_: Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Come on, _vámonos_.

Everybody let's go.

_Boots & Swiper:_ Come on; let's get to it.

_Dora: _I know that we can do it

Who are we saving?

_Boots: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Swiper:_ The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Dora: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Trio_: The Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy!


	7. Tin Soldier Field

Sorry I took so long with this next chapter; I was busy making a Star Pocket for my niece's 3rd birthday and some Explorer Stars to go with it. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

**Ch. 6: Tin Soldier Field**

As the trio of heroes was making their way to the field, _el Raton Rey _turned to an open area in it just near where some toy tin soldiers were practicing some parade moves to "The Russian Dance" music.

"_Fiera!_" he hissed, pointing his hands to the area. With the ruby on his crown glowing with red light, a red mist flew from his hands and transformed into a hairy, four-legged beast with razor sharp fangs, point horns, and crimson red eyes.

"Let's see them get through _that_!" he hissed with a sneer before running off for Gingerbread Castle. The beast then turned to the tin troops and galloped towards it.

Meanwhile, Dora, Boots, and Swiper were approaching said troops to see them performing their parade moves.

"Wow," Boots said, "look at those soldiers. They must be having a parade."

"That is so cool," Swiper concurred before he spotted the beast running towards the soldiers.

"Oh, no!" he cried, pointing out said monster. "That beast is gonna crash into them." The trio then rushed over to help the tin soldiers.

"Watch out!" Swiper cried to the soldiers. "Watch out!" A few of the soldiers turned to him in confusion.

"_Que?_" they said.

"Uh-oh!" Boots cried. "Those soldiers speak Spanish!"

"We have to cry out '_Cuidado!_'" Dora said. The three of them then cried out to the soldiers again.

"_Cuidado! Cuidado!_" The soldiers heard their cries and turned to see the beast running towards them. Crying out in surprise, they moved out of the way in time to avoid the collision.

"Phew!" Boots cried as they stopped beside the general, a toy tin soldier with a white beard and riding a white toy horse. "That was close."

"Is everyone alright?" Dora asked the general, who fortunately for the trio speaks English.

"Yes, we are fine," he answered, turning gruffly to the beast, "but that beast has ruined our parade practice! Why would he go and do—"

"MRROOOWWR!" The beast cried out and held up his furry paw. It was then that Swiper saw a large splinter stuck in the paw. One of the soldiers must have dropped his rifle, and the beast stepped on it. The beast then fell over on his side and began crying.

"Oh, that poor beast," he said. "He's got a splinter in his paw." He then went over to the hurt creature.

"Swiper, be careful!" Dora cried to the fox.

"But we just _have_ to help him, Dora," he protested. "He's hurt." The general then got off his horse and went over to the beast to inspect the hurt paw.

"I think we can get it out," he said, "but we'll have to do it together." He, Dora, Boots, and Swiper then grabbed the splinter and pulled…pulled…pulled…and the splinter came out. The beast cried out in pain again, but he then calmed down as the pain subsided.

"Don't worry," Boots said, petting the beast's head. "We got the splinter out."

"Now we just need to put a band-aid on the boo-boo," Dora said, "so that it gets better."

"I got it, Dora," Backpack said, shooting the band-aid out of her and into the girl's hands.

"_Gracias_, Backpack," she said. She then gently stuck the band-aid on the beast's boo-boo, and the beast dried his eyes.

"Thank you for taking care of my hurt paw," he said. "I'm very sorry that I ruined the parade practice. I was just doing what _el Raton Rey_ summoned me to do."

"The Mouse King?" Swiper replied in shock. "Oh, man! He's really tricky. He can make me a lot less likely to swipe stuff."

"Well, don't you worry," the general said to the beast. "You'll be just fine now." He then turned to Dora, Boots, and Swiper.

"Thank you again for your help," he said to them. "Is there any way we can repay you?"

"Well, we're trying to find Gingerbread Castle so that we can help the Sugar Plum Fairy," Swiper answered. "Can you tell us if we're close by?"

"You're in luck," the general answered, pointing to the left. "It's just a mile from here, standing among three hills." The trio turned to the direction and found Gingerbread Castle, standing there proudly in between two small hills and with the third hill behind it.

"Thanks, General," Boots replied, saluting him along with Dora and Swiper.

"Good luck on your quest, brave heroes," he replied, returning the salute.

"C'mon," Dora said to Boots and Swiper. "We've got to get to Gingerbread Castle!"

"Yeah, so we can save the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Mouse King," concurred Swiper. As they headed for the castle, _el Ratón Rey _stuck his head from behind a tree, disbelief written all over his face.

"NO!" he roared. "They've gotten past my beast. I only have one more chance to keep them from _mi Hada_." He then used his magic crown to fly over to Gingerbread Castle as the trio began their traveling song to jingling bells:

_Dora: _C'mon! Sing it with us!

_Trio_: Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Jungle, Garden, Barn,

Field, and Gingerbread Castle

Come on, _vámonos_.

Everybody let's go.

_Boots & Swiper:_ Come on; let's get to it.

_Dora: _I know that we can do it

Who are we saving?

_Boots: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Swiper:_ The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Dora: _The Sugar Plum Fairy.

Who are we saving?

_Trio_: The Sugar Plum Fairy.

The Sugar Plum Fairy!


	8. Gingerbread CastleBattle for the Fairy

Ch. 7: Gingerbread Castle – The Battle for the Fairy

It wasn't long before the trio had reached the doorway into the castle, a red-and-white peppermint swirl door. Unfortunately, it's closed shut. Above the door, _el Raton Rey_ looked down at them with an evil grin.

"There's no way they can get in now," he said to the reader (that's you, of course). "The only way to unlock it is if they say the magic word." He then disappeared back into the window.

Back at the door, Boots tried to open the lock door but to no avail.

"It's no use, Dora," he said to his friend. "I can't get it open; I think it's locked."

"Maybe we need to open it with a magic word," Swiper stated. "The question is 'What is it'?" As if on cue, a glowing ball of lavender light flew out of the highest room of the tallest tower (I know the location's a little cliché, but please bear with me). It then flew to the trio, and a soft, female voice spoke forth from it:

"This is the Sugar Plum Fairy speaking through this orb to you. I do not have much time, so I must be quick. To open the doors you encounter within this castle, you must use the Spanish word for love. You will find me in the highest room of the tallest tower." The orb then disappeared in glowing sprinkles.

"So to open this door," Swiper said, "we need to say the Spanish word for love. I wonder why _el Raton Rey _would use—"

"_Amor!_" The fox was cut off when his two friends cried out to open the door. He quickly ran after them as they ran into the now open door.

"Dora! Boots!" he cried out to them. "Wait for me!" As the trio got through the next four doors to get to the highest room of the tallest tower, Swiper thought about what the Sugar Plum Fairy's orb told them. Why would _el Raton Rey_ use the Spanish word for love? In fact, why would he use the word love at all? Isn't he trying to marry the Sugar Plum Fairy to gain control over all of the Nutcracker Kingdom?

"Swiper," Dora cried, snapping the fox out of his thoughts. "We're here!" Swiper then saw that they are already in front of the door to the highest room of the tallest tower. And the door is now open thanks to the magic word.

When they three of them went into said room, they found that it's the most beautiful room ever to be made fit for a fairy princess of sweets. The royal bed looked like it's made of chocolate bars, and its curtains are braided vines dotted with real strawberries. The vanity looked like an ice cream fudge sundae. The wardrobe was split into two colors; white for vanilla, and brown for chocolate. The walls were strawberry pink, and the large mirror's encircled in peppermints. And sitting in a chocolate-chip-cookie chair with a marshmallow white cushion is the Sugar Plum Fairy, who smiled at the heroes who came to save her.

"_Azúcar Plum Hada!_" Dora cried with delight as she rushed over to her.

"Dora," the beautiful fairy replied, hugging the little girl. "I knew Drosselmeyer would send someone to save me.

"Don't worry, Sugar Plum Fairy," Swiper said to the beautiful fairy. "We're gonna get you out of here."

"That's what you think!" growled a male voice. The four of them then turned to find the Mouse King standing in front of the doorway.

"_El Raton Rey_!" the Sugar Plum Fairy cried as Boots clung to Dora.

"You may have gotten through all my traps and have reached my fairy," he cried, summoning forth a candy-cane sword with his magic crown. "But that is as far as you'll go. En guarde!" He then swung his sword so that he's pointing it at Swiper, who's the closest to him.

"Swiper, here!" Boots cried, grabbing another candy-cane sword nearby and handing it to the fox.

"Thanks, Boots," Swiper replied before turning to _el Raton Rey_. The two of them then began fencing with their swords. The Mouse King is a good fencer, but with Dora and Boots cheering him on, Swiper has the confidence he needs to fight back. Neither of them received any injuries; each opponent is more focused on disarming the opponent. In the end, Swiper had knocked the sword out of the Mouse King's hand. He quickly then jumped up and swiped the crown off of his head.

"My crown! No!" Swiper then tossed the crown over to Dora and held his sword at the _el Raton Rey_ to keep him back.

"You're too late," the fox cried with a smile. "You won't get your—"

"Big brother!" The fox was suddenly cut off by a small, squeaky voice at the doorway. The group turned to see a tiny girl mouse with short golden brown hair running up to the Mouse King and hugging him. She has on soft pink dress with a soft pink princess's hat.

"Big brother, are you alright?" she cried with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, Sweetpea," _el Raton Rey _said to her softly as he comforted her. "I'm alright; I'm not hurt." The little mouse named Sweetpea turned to Swiper angrily.

"You big bully!" she cried. "Who do you think you are picking on my big brother like that!"


	9. Gingerbread CastleRaton Rey's Heart

**Ch.8: Gingerbread Castle—Raton Rey's True Heart**

"Big brother?" Swiper and Boots cried simultaneously, shocked to hear that _el Raton Rey_ has a younger sister standing up for him.

"The Mouse King has a _hermana menor_!" Dora cried, also shocked. "A baby sister!" _El Raton Rey _then picked Sweetpea up into his arms and hugged her gently.

"Please, don't be too hard on little Sweetpea," he asked them. "She just worries about me, that's all."

"I didn't think someone as evil as you would care for his little sister," Swiper replied. Sweetpea shot him and angry glare.

"He's not evil!" she cried. "He's a _good _Mouse King!"

"But he was trying to take over the Land of Sweets," Boots stated.

"No, he's _not_!" she cried again, this time more angrily. "He wants to marry the Sugar Plum Fairy because he _loves_ her for real!"

"What?" the group cried in unison. _El Raton Rey_ sighed in defeat as he gently put his little sister down.

"It's true," he said sadly. "I'm in love with her. I just couldn't bring myself to tell her because of all the things I've done to Clara and the NutCracker. But that was only because I mistook Clara for the Fairy, and I thought that the NutCracker was trying to take her away from me. When I've realized my mistake, I thought maybe I could talk to them and explain everything. But they wouldn't listen to me; they thought I was trying to hurt them again. That's why I locked them away as they've claimed that I have. I wanted them out of the way for a while as I explain everything to Sugar Plum. When I learned that Drosselmeyer had brought you three here, I was afraid I wouldn't have enough time to talk to her. I never meant to hurt anyone; I just wanted to delay you so I have more time to talk to her." He sighed sadly.

"I guess I messed up big time, didn't I?" he added, looking up at the Sugar Plum Fairy sadly. "I'm really sorry, _Azúcar Plum_." The Sugar Plum Fairy then smiled at him and went up to him. Everyone was surprised, even _Raton Rey_, as she then hugged him.

"You didn't mess up," she said to him softly. "You just made the wrong choices." Shocked as he is, _Raton Rey_ hugged her back, smiling happily for the first throughout the entire story.

Dora then watched as her Star Pocket then opened up, freeing Lovey Dove, the Explorer Star of Love. The pink star with hearts and wings then flew over to the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mouse King. She then flew around them, small red, pink, and white hearts flying out of her, to form a large heart made of said hearts around the couple. Then she returned to the Star Pocket.

Seeing that _Raton Rey_ is really a good guy, Dora then handed the crown back to him, and he used its magic to bring back Clara and the NutCracker. After everything was explained, the two of them agreed that _Raton Rey_ should have permission to court Sugar Plum Fairy.

"Thank you so much for your help, Dora, Boots, and Swiper," the fairy then said to the trio. "Is there anything we could do for you in return?"

"Well, there is something," Swiper answered nervously. "Drosselmeyer said you can help me with the perfect gift for my friend Isa. I want to make it perfect for her. You think you can help?"

"Of course," she replied, "but I think I'm going to need _Raton Rey's_ help for it."

"Of course, _mi Hada_," he replied with a smile. With the magic of his crown combined with the magic of her pale lavender wand, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King have summoned forth a package wrapped green wrapping paper decorated with red poinsettias and with a red velvet bow. The package then floated into Swiper's held out hands.

"Give this to Isa," the Mouse King instructed the fox. "When she opens it, she'll find the perfect gift inside."

"Wow," Swiper replied, happy that he now has a gift for the girl of his affections. "Thank you so much."

"_De nada_," the two of them replied. The Sugar Plum Fairy then went over to the mirror and waved her wand in front of it. Her reflection was then replaced by an image of the Christmas party back in Dora, Boots, and Swiper's home world.

"Now you should hurry back to your own world," she said to the trio. "Your _amigos_ are waiting for you. Take this portal within my mirror; it will take you home."

"_Gracias_, _Azúcar Plum Hada_," Dora said to her. After saying their good-byes to Clara, the NutCracker, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King, and Princess Sweetpea, the trio entered the portal by stepping through the magic mirror.

After riding through a sparkling twister of red, green, and white, the three of them found themselves at the party, dressed in their Christmas party clothes. Dora has on her red _fiesta_ dress. Boots has on his blue jacket. And Swiper has on a red bow tie with a green jacket. Dora, Boots, and Swiper are back home in time for the party.


	10. Isa's GiftWe Did It!

**Ch. 9: Isa's Gift – We Did It!**

Dora, Boots, and Swiper turned to see their friends running up to them to greet them.

"Dora! Boots!" Tico cried.

"Swiper!" Benny cried.

"You've made it!" cheered the Big Red Chicken. "BAWK, BAWK!"

"We thought you wouldn't," Isa said, hugging a blushing Swiper. "Where were you three?"

"We'll tell you all about it," Boots answered as they went into the party. The trio then told their story of their adventure in the NutCracker Kingdom to their friends. They had to stop midway, however, when it came time to open their Secret Santa presents.

"_Fantastico!" _Tico cheered, excited with his new acorn recipe cookbook. "_Gracias_, Boots!"

"_De nada_," the monkey replied with a smile.

"Thanks for the scrapbook, Dora," Benny said to the girl as he tried out his new gift by putting one of his photos in it. "Now I can store all of my photos in here."

"I'm glad you love it, Benny," she replied with a smile.

As for Swiper, he and Isa found a nice spot in the party for the fox to give the iguana his gift to her.

"I hope you like it," he said, handing the package to her with a blush. "I got it from the NutCracker Kingdom…uh, _not _by swiping, of course."

"Don't worry, Swiper," she laughed, taking the package and not seeing the bow glow when she did. "I know you've your lesson. What's in it?"

"I don't know," he answered with a shrug. "To be honest, I've never even looked inside. I was told it's special, though." Looking down at the present again, Isa undid the bow and paper carefully so as not to damage them. She then lifted the lid off the box and gasped with a smile.

"Oh, Swiper!" she cried with delight. "I love it!" She then took the gift out to show it to him. It's a soldier nutcracker doll dressed in red and white and holding a flowerpot with a red poinsettia in it.

"He's just perfect," she said before looking up above them and smiling a bigger smile.

"I think I know just how to truly thank you," she said to him with a few bats of her eyelashes.

"Uh, what do ya mean, Isa?" he asked with a blush on his face. She then pointed up, and the fox looked up to find mistletoe hanging above them.

"Oh, man!" he squeaked, looking down at Isa again…only to have the iguana plant a tender kiss on his lips. He felt his body stiffen a little and his stomach flutter like a hundred butterflies. When they finally parted, Swiper wobbled a little like his body was going to melt like butter.

"Oooh, maaan…" he sighed in a lovestruck tone before fainting. Isa just giggled.

"Oh, Swiper," she said as he quickly came to and stood up again. "You are so cute!" She then hugged him, and Swiper hugged her back with a smile. Everyone watched them with an "Awww…"

"We did it!" Dora and Boots cheered, high-fiving each other before everyone started the "We Did It" dance to Christmas music:

_Dora_: We did it!

_Boots: _We did it!

_Swiper_: We did it!

_Trio: _Yay!

_Dora_: _Lo isimos!_

_M & BP: _We did it!

_Dora: _We tiptoed through the jungle and danced through the garden

_Swiper_: We did it!

_Boots:_ We did it!

_Trio:_ We did it! Hooray!

_Swiper_: We helped each cuddly baby get back to its pen

We did it!

_Boots:_ We did it!

_Dora: _ We did it!

_Trio:_ We did it!

_Boots:_ At Tin Soldier Field, we helped the beast

_Dora: _ And we got to the castle that was last but not least

_Dora_: We did it!

_Boots: _We did it!

_Swiper_: We did it!

_Trio: _Yay!

_Dora_: _Lo isimos!_

_M & BP: _We did it!

_Boots: _We made to the top to the Sugar Plum Fairy

_Swiper_: We did it!

_Dora:_ We did it!

_Trio:_ We did it! Hooray!

_Dora_: She and Mouse King are together; that's extraordinary

We did it!

_Swiper: _We did it!

_Boots: _ We did it!

_Trio:_ We did it!

_Swiper: _I got my gift for Isa, and we now know the rest

_Isa: _ The Nutcracker doll is simply the best

_Dora_: Yeah!

_Boots: _ Woooh!

_Swiper: _Hooray!

_Trio: _ We did it!

_Dora_: Woooh!


	11. A Surprise Happy Ending

Epilogue: A Surprise Happy Ending

"Wow, that was a great story, _Tío _Drosselmeyer!" cried the little girl with the doll. "I love the part when they sung to the Slinky Snake so they can sneak past him."

"I like the part where they helped find the baby animals," said the little boy with the plane.

"My favorite part was when Swiper gave Isa her Christmas present," said the little girl with the ball.

"That was my favorite part as well," Uncle Drosselmeyer replied before looking up at the clock to see that it is now late. "Oh, look at the time. Time for bed, _mis hijos_. _Buenos noches._"

"_Buenos noches_, _Tío _Drosselmeyer," the children said before they got up and left for bed. Before she left, a little girl who looks like a younger version of Clara and carrying a fox toy in her arms turned to the older man.

"_Tío _Drosselmeyer," she asked him, "I was wondering. Whatever became of Swiper and Isa after the story?"

"Well…what do _you_ believe, _chica_?" he asked with a smile. The little girl then thought about it and looked up with a bright smile.

"I think…they lived happily ever after," she answered.

"Then that's probably what they did," he answered. After saying good night to him, the little girl left.

Once all the children are gone, Uncle Drosselmeyer got up from his chair and walked over to the window to look outside the mansion.

It had started snowing a while ago and is still going, and the lampposts have been turned on to give the fresh blanket of snow a beautiful glow.

Uncle Drosselmeyer smiled when he spotted one certain lamppost shining next to a bench. In the bench sat Swiper the Fox and Isa the Iguana. The fox has his arm around her shoulders, and in her arms she held the Nutcracker doll he gave her.

"So," Swiper said to Isa, "what do you think of this little Christmas setting?"

"It's wonderful, Swiper," she answered, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I really love more with _you _here with me." With a smile, Swiper wrapped his tail around her waist before intertwining it with her own tail.

"I like being here with you, too," he said to her before wrapping his arms around the girl iguana. Herr Drosselmeyer watched as the two of them shared a long but tender kiss, and Lovey Dove flew around to form a large heart made up of much smaller red, pink, and white hearts.

_The little one was right_, the older man thought with a smile. _Swiper and Isa_ do _live happily ever after_.


End file.
